12 NCAC 09C .0303         PROBATIONARY CERTIFICATION

(a)  Before a prospective criminal justice officer may be administered the oath of office, exercise the power of arrest, or commence active service as an officer, the employing agency shall have in its possession the person's Probationary Certification.

(b)  The Commission shall certify as a probationary officer a person meeting the minimum standards for criminal justice employment, as specified in Rules .0101, .0114, .0116, and .0117, of this Subchapter, when the person's employing agency submits a Report of Appointment to the Standards Division. The Report of Appointment Form is located on the agency's website: https://ncdoj.gov/download/100/division-of-juvenile-justice/373038/f-5a-jj-juvenile-justice-application-for-certification-08-2026.pdf. The process for issuing probationary certification is as follows:

(1)           The Standards Division shall issue the person's Probationary Certification to the employing agency.

(2)           If an oath is required, the official administering an oath of office to the person shall be presented the person's Probationary Certification prior to the swearing. The administering official shall sign and date the oath on the Probationary Certification. The employing agency shall return a copy of the signed Probationary Certification to the Standards Division within 10 calendar days of the administration of the officer's oath.

(3)           If no oath is required, the officer's department head shall endorse the Probationary Certification and enter the date on which the officer's service commenced, returning a copy of the certification to the Standards Division within 10 calendar days of the commencement of the officer's service.

(c)  The criminal justice officer's Probationary Certification shall remain valid for 12 months from the date the certification is issued by the Standards Division unless sooner terminated by his or her agency.

(d)  Criminal Justice Officers with Probationary Certification shall be eligible to request an extension of up to six months to complete the required training outlined in 12 NCAC 09B .0235 or .0236, upon showing of just cause. For the purposes of this Rule, "just cause" includes an accident, illness, injury, emergency, or course cancellation that precluded the officer from fulfilling the training requirements. The request shall consist of a completed Form F-15, Request for Training Extension, pursuant to 12 NCAC 09I .0108, and shall be received at least five business days prior to the officer's scheduled Probationary Certification expiration.

(e)  Before a prospective law enforcement officer may be issued a Probationary Certification, the prospective officer shall have completed the required basic training course stipulated in 12 NCAC 09B .0205(b).

(f)  An applicant for certification who holds a valid Probationary Certification issued by the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission shall be certified as a probationary law enforcement officer as specified under Paragraphs (b) through (e) of this Rule.

(g)  Where the local governing authority declares the existence of a public emergency pursuant to G.S. 166A-19.22, the department head of the criminal justice agency of the jurisdiction may swear persons as law enforcement officers without first obtaining Probationary Certification for those officers. The employing agency shall obtain Probationary Certification for such emergency officers not more than 20 calendar days after the administration of their oath of office.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 17C‑6; 17C‑10;

Eff. January 1, 1981;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2015; November 1, 1993; March 1, 1992; July 1, 1989; October 1, 1985;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. May 25, 2019;

Readopted Eff. October 1, 2026.